Mane Shaker ran up the stairs leaving everypony on his way looking at him. He was angry and nervous at his partner with suspicions of what she could have made.

Reaching at the door of her room, he took a deep breath and calmed down, looking at the ceiling and checking the corridors to make sure nopony would hear.
He knocked but there was no answer. He tried again and the same answer... nothing.

"Pinka, It's me... Mane..."

Silence from the other side.

"I'm back from my tour around town."

...

"Pinkamena Diane Pie, open the door please..."

Moments after the demand, the door was unlocked and she peeked, seeing Mane waiting for her.

"Y-yes..?" - Diane asked is a low voice.

"Is something wrong..?" Mane asked noticing her different strange behavior. "Can I enter?"

"Um... yes..."

She opened the door completely and invited him in. Mane walked inside and checked the room. A window, a bed, a table, a chair and a small bathroom with a shower. Just like every room in that motel.
He sat on the bed and Pinkamena sat next to him.

"Do you have something to tell me..?" Mane asked in a tone trying to contain his nerves.

"No."

"Pinka, according to my "report" of the day, I went to a crime scene in a store hoarded with guards, and one asked me about a pink mare with straight pink mane, and a pink and black dress... you know, like you."

"It wasn't me!"

"Oh yeah?!" Mane went to the bathroom and grabbed the said dress from behind the door and showed It to her. "I see small blood stains in the pink stripes!"

"Please, believe me! I had nothing to do with this! I've seen enough today!"

"You robbed a store and murdered an innocent store keeper!"

The discussion was ended by a knock on the door. Mane looked at It and then at Pinkamena with angry eyes.

"Go answer..." He whispered.

Pinkamena cleaned her tears and walked slowly to the door, while Mane hid in the bathroom next to the room's entrance, with his head against the door listening.
She opened the door and two guards greeted her.

"Hello miss... sorry the disturbance." Greeted one of the guards.

"Um... yes?"

"We got reported you were the only witness in a crime scene and you ran away from the protection from one of us."

"Yes. That's true... and I'm sorry." She apologized in a fragile and innocent voice.

"It's alright, we were told you were in shock, just don't do It ever again. We would like to ask you a few questions."

"Okay..."

"First. Were you the only one in the place?"

"Yes."

"Have you seen the face of the delinquent?"

"No. I didn't pay much attention, so much happened in an entire minute..."

"What was he wearing?"

"He was dressing a brown jacket and a black beret, I couldn't check his face, the shadow of the hat was well positioned, must say..."

"According to non visual witnesses, everypony in the zone heard a big explosion from inside the store. What was It?"

"The guy was holding something. It was made out of iron and wood. He pressed some kind of lever under his finger and... an explosion happened."

"I see... Does anything else happened after that?"

"Not much, he took all the money he could and took my purse..."

"Did you had any documents with you?"

"No..."

"Alright, that's all. Sorry the disturbance and what happened to you. Anything else, visit our post in the center."

"Um... thank you..."

The two guards turned their back talking to each other and she closed the door.
Mane left the bathroom full of guilt and looked at Pinkamena who was clearly in fear.

"I guess I own you an apology..." He said in a low voice.

"No, no... It's ok..."

"But tell me this. The bandit, he was holding a weapon similar to the ones I told you?"

"Yes. It was clearly what you told me! Those things, they kill in an instant!"

"By Discord's sake..." He whispered for himself. "We arrived too late before something would happen!" He said raising his voice.

"Mane! Nothing is lost, we can still stop this. Now I really see why are you here in your homeland. I really wanna help you!"

"Pinka, calm down. I didn't gave up yet. We are gonna stop this and your help is welcome. Get some rest, you went through a lot today."

"Mane, don't leave me please!" She hugged his arm tightly.

"Girl, my room is next to yours, you are safe. I'll keep my ears open... Besides, what the hell? What happened to the badass killer I knew? Get yourself a warm shower and rest."

"Okay..."

She let his arm go slowly, and Mane opened the door and left to his room.

Pinkamena looked around and checked the window, seeing the two guards walking towards a street among citizens.
Headed to the bathroom and undressed from her "lazy" clothes, and took a shower giving the chance to wash her other clothes from the innocent blood. Seeing the water getting red stained gave her a flashback from the store situation and later a memory from her old days in mangling bodies, and she could feel her raging energy coming to her.
The mare looked at the mirror and saw for a fraction of a second her reflection stained in blood and a evil grin. She gasped scared and calmed down, and leaned over the sink breathing heavily.

"Not now! Control yourself... save It for another time. Contain It like Mane taught you..."

She turned around and turned off the water, then wrapping a white towel around her naked body. Walking out of the bathroom, she noticed an envelop on the floor by the entrance door. She picked and opened...

Pinkamena trembled in fear, letting the letter fall from her hands, and ran to her bag, checking if her signature "chef" knife was there, along with a sneaky butterfly knife. Tonight was for sure, she was going to sleep with a weapon under her pillow.

In the next room. Mane finished sharpening his knife with a small whetstone and cleaning them, as per usual his care with his own stuff.
He couldn't know when he would need to storm out his rooms door to go fight somepony in Pinkamena's room.

In that day, the first crime in Equestria with a pistol was committed and he felt guilty he arrived too late to stop It. But now It was time to put an end to It. That was the first one, and should be the last.
He went to the window checking if anything suspicious was going on in the streets. But nothing besides citizens walking among each other and crossing the road, enter and leaving stores and their homes.

*knock knock*

The sound at his door made him grab the switchblade and hid in his belt, under the jacket in his back.
He walked slowly to the door and a letter folded in two was laying on the floor. Opened the door and nopony was there. Plain silence...
Closed the door and picked the letter, unfolded and he saw something that made him shiver.

"I didn't need to sleep anyway..."

Author's Notes:

If you get the reference, high-five! ^^)/)